Long May They Reign
by Hail King Cerion
Summary: The Seven Kingdoms in turmoil, Aerys Targaryen rules with cruelty and fire. His two sons aim to remove him through resolution or force if they have to, the Great Council would take place when most of the Realm is in attendance but darker forces are at play and the hearts and desires of men and women twist and turn. A dark cloud hangs over the Realm and all watch with bated breath.


_**Hi everyone. Instead of making a whole different story, I discarded the old chapters for this shiny new one.**_

 _ **The plot is mainly the same, except a little more fleshed out so the story isn't over before chapter forty with ho huge the story changes are.**_

 _ **Aemon and Cersei still get married, they still have Jaehaerys, Lucan, Visenya, and Aegon. Again, it's all going to be more fleshed out for the plot of the series.**_

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Chapter 1: Forged in Fire 

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Aerys Targaryen, the second of his name, King of the Andals, Rhoynar, and the First Men. Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm was walking his two sons down the rows of the throne room.

His sons were counting the dragons and upon getting to the Iron Throne, the seat of all the Kings of Westeros since the Conquest.

"Rhaegar, Aemon, who were the riders of these three great beasts of fire and wings?" Aerys asked his twenty-three and sixteen-year-old sons, Rhaegar began to name the first two off.

"Vhagar, Meraxes," Aemon called out the last and final dragon.

"And Balerion the Black Dread. Aegon and his sisters were their riders." Aerys smiled proudly at his two sons who eyed one another, within Rhaegar's came a bit of jealousy.

"These creatures united and forged the Seven into one, they and all their kin are gone, now." Aerys mentioned solemnly, he put both of his hands on his son's shoulders. "Now, the bond of brotherhood is what keeps this family together, you two must help one another into the future... "

Aemon sighed as King's Landing was coming into view, he closed his eyes and remembered that small moment before the Defiance of Duskendale. His father left the proud and heroic father and returned the maddened and vengeful King that the Realm is stuck with.

King's Landing was once his home, long ago. He was exiled sometime after a dispute with his father over his maddening actions, he chose to side over the verdict for a peasant who stole some bread for his little brother. His father had him whipped for 'insubordination' and intended on throwing him out of the Kingdoms.

And all of this happened after his brother had married Elia Martell, the mother of his niece.

His mother, bless her heart had talked his father into sending him to Summerhall as its new Lord. Some might have called it an honor but the more ambitious and players in the court knew it was an insult, a punishment. The second ancient seat of his family was a ruin, a broken and ugly place, the scars from the fires blackening the white stone that used to be its walls.

The shape of his new home forced him to look for income, so, a few days after he arrived at Summerhall, he left across the Narrow Sea to serve in a band of mercenaries.

His father cut him off, no gold and the lands he owned couldn't rub two coppers together to even begin repairing the walls and roofs.

Two years he spent in Essos, the Stormcrows were a fine bunch of men, good warriors and he took many lives in the battles that he fought. Three years and he made enough money to rebuild his new home, he was passing Dragonstone and heading to Duskendale when he was stopped by Lucerys Velaryon, his fathers Master of Ships.

His father has demanded his presence, a growl erupted from as he told the captain of the ship to change course for King's Landing.

"Scared to return home?" He turned and felt the slightest hint of a smile spread across his lips.

Wyllam Wendwater was his best friend, has been since they met during the first day he left the Red Keep for the first time. Wyllam is the brother to the heir to the castle of Wendwater.

He was a tall man, an inch more than himself and more muscular as well. His hair was a dark blonde and eyes a greyish-green. A scar etched on his right cheek from the blade of a soldier from the company of the Second Sons.

"Of course, I wonder if I'll be whipped again or something worse. My good and noble father was never interested in bringing me home until now." He said and pulled away from the sight of his old home.

"Perhaps, his grace had grown a heart? Maybe he is going to ask for forgiveness." Wyllam suggested and he shook his head, no man is forgiving and his father is most certainly not a person who asks for forgiveness.

Aerys the Mad only knows his own form of sickening justice, he doesn't forget a slight no matter how small it may be. It could be from suggesting an option or questioning a decision which would get anyone burned alive for 'treason'.

"My father doesn't have a heart, he lost all semblance of kindness to whatever happened at Duskendale." He whispered as some mist began to dissipate from the Red Keep, he sighed and thought to himself... Welcome home.

Within the Red Keep, Queen Rhaella Targaryen and mother to three was watching as a three-headed dragon sail inched closer and closer to the harbor.

She smiled and felt relieved to see her baby boy coming home in what seemed like an eternity, she turned from the window and to one of the Kingsguard and a good friend to her, Oswell Whent.

"Ser Oswell, inform a party of guards to head to the harbor and meet my son. Prince Aemon has returned." She told the knight who left a moment later and passing the Princess Elia who was surprised by the announcement.

"Aemon is here?" Her daughter asked and she nodded, asking the girl to come over and they both looked at the ship, Rhaella watched Elia's expression softened and she felt sorry for the poor woman.

She still loves him, even after all this time. She and Aemon met before Rhaegar became her betrothed, it was when Elia's mother invited the Royal family to Dorne. Aerys didn't want to go, Viserys was just born and Rhaegar was busy attending a tourney.

She, a few select guards and servants, and Aemon left to meet the Southernmost Kingdom.

Dorne was nice, and warm, it was a peaceful place and she almost didn't want to leave, to go back to the abuse and nightly visits by her brother after an execution. She shivered as she remembered the last time, her husband was fierce and left more bruises than the other times he came to her.

She was sure she was pregnant again, she hoped this one doesn't leave her as a monstrous and dying child. She's had eight children, only three of them lived and she hopes this child also lives to maturity like Rhaegar, Aemon, and Viserys.

She thinks its a girl, a daughter that she desired for so long.

"Are you happy, will you finally put to rest this infatuation between you and Aemon?" She didn't like to break the girl's heart, Elia looked at her with sad eyes and closed them.

Aemon fell heavily for the Princess, she was beyond beautiful in his eyes and she entertained the thought of marriage between them but remembered why they were invited here. An agreement was made between her and the Princess of Dorne, Rhaegar came and met Elia and three months after that, the wedding in King's Landing took place. A year after that, Rhaenys was born and Aemon was given Summerhall.

"... My duty is to my husband, to our newborn son and the future King... Whenever one is born." Elia said sadly and she felt that it was forced, but the girl has a split heart, on one end she is in love with Aemon and on the other, she is fond of Rhaegar.

On another thought, she sympathized with Elia, the girl has been trying and so had Rhaegar, no sons and she is hopeful that this year would be it or the next since this year will be ending in a month and a half.

"Find Rhaenys, she should meet her uncle, and, tell Rhaegar his brother is home." She told the Princess, she smiled kindly before leaving and going out to find Aemon's older brother, the Crown Prince is no doubt in the library or the training yard.

She returned to her own duties, it's a cloak, something she decided to make when Aerys told her and the others that he wanted his son home after what happened.

It was made with Myrish silk, silver trims on black with their House sigil in the center, the dragons proudly in the circle. A sigh escaped her lips as she sat down on the satin chair, taking her needles and finishing her work.

Down at the harbor, Aemon and Wyllam were disembarking from the ship and seeing the busy people walking around, the Prince frowned and Jonothor Darry and Oswell Whent were waiting for him at the gate, he should have realized his presence would already be felt across the Red Keep.

"Prince Aemon, welcome back to the capital, the King awaits you," Jonothor said to him and he scoffed, the man was so damned dutiful that he couldn't possibly conjure the smallest of emotion upon seeing him.

"... Very well, let's get my horse from the ship and go see the King."

King's Landing was the home of the Kings of Westeros for over three hundred years, it's the home of corrupt men and over the dozens of decades hosted the worst Kings and in one instance a Queen of the Realm. _Maegor the Cruel, Aegon the Unworthy, Baelor the Blessed, Rhaenyra Targaryen, and finally, Aerys the Mad_. The Realms bled from revolts and uprisings, all for the Iron Throne.

There are others, Princes of the blood who had the madness within them. _Aerion Brightflame being the worst._ He thought about his great-great grandfather's brother, he thought he was a dragon in human form, drank wildfire to unleash his true form.

The people of King's Landing were terrified, every time. His father burns the innocent for unsafe comments about his reign, even for Illyn Payne, the man had spoken about how Tywin was the true ruler of the Realm, his father had the man's tongue cut out with hot pincers. Now, Illyn doesn't say anything, only looking at everyone with scorn and hate.

Tywin's man was out of line to say it to the Goldcloaks who are firmly in the hands of his father, a poor fool who had deserved what he had got.

With his father being the King, even speaking against him or about him could get one killed or harmed, even the royal family. He thought in anger as Varys was put into his mind, the man his father brought from Pentos because of his expertise in the use of information gathering.

He doesn't like Varys, the man is constantly talking about loyalty to the King, but out of earshot, he boasts about being loyal to the Realm. Aemon thought that the man isn't loyal to anyone but for his own selfishness.

"Aemon, are you listening?" He snapped out of his thoughts by Wyllam pulling on the reins of his horse, looking around he saw they were within the Red Keeps walls and at the stables. "Come on." His best friend told him and he took a deep breath and dismounted from his horse, a beautiful white stallion named Arvak, it was given to him by a Dothraki Khal, Bharbo and his son when he went to Qohor.

He took off his sword and dirk, a majestic blade made in Qohor, it isn't Valyrian steel as he would have wanted it to be but its still good steel. "Father only lets the Kingsguard carry weapons in his presence, take them." He said to Wyllam who nodded and stayed behind while the herald took him to the throne room.

"Now announcing the arrival of Prince Aemon of the House Targaryen. Prince of Summerhall." He walked with slight trepidation as he inched closer and closer to the Iron Throne, he saw that the years have been hard on his father since he had been gone.

His father looked disheveled, his eyes wild and looking in all directions. Aerys silver beard was unkempt and worse was his fingernails, they were very long and hideous.

"So the banished son returns, should I rise for you? Give you honor and glory for all your accomplishments across the Narrow Sea?" He shook his head no to the questions asked and bowed to the King. "You were supposed to be here the day before, not now. Did your ship lose its way?" His father asked him and he sighed.

"I hadn't received your summons until I passed Dragonstone, I would have been here earlier if not- " Aerys cut his son off with a growl, standing from the Iron Throne.

"I don't want your excuses, boy!" Aerys shouted frantically, "When I call, you hear it and appear on time, not a day after." The King commanded and once he calmed down, he sat back on his throne and clutched the handle tightly. The room was so quiet, he didn't even see the Hand or his mother, not even the Grand Maester and his brothers, just Varys who was at his father's right.

"May I ask you why I have been allowed home? My King." He questioned and his father narrowed his eyes at him, it was as if the stare could light him on fire.

"Your brother has a wife, a pup and no sons. When will you find yourself a wife? Our House is small and it needs boys to carry the name, half-breeds or otherwise." He heard the King speak and sounded as if he was telling a joke. "I called you here for other reasons, your brother and mother keep whining for you, I rescinded your banishment so I may get sleep and peace... Now go." Does he still believe him so disobedient and unfilial? Fighting a response from his father, he bowed and turned the other way and walked out of the throne room but heard his fathers cackling.

So, his father is as mad as before all those years ago.

No compassion. No sympathy or heart but complete and utter ruthlessness. His reign is going to end bloody, whether it is because of rebellion or because he'll have been murdered by his own advisors as Maegor the Cruel.

Aemon slowed his steps as he was far away from the throne room, making his next direction for Maegor's Holdfast where his mother must be. A ghost of a smile was brought to his lips, he quickened his pace with his next few steps in seeing the woman who cared for him but he couldn't be there for her.

Jonothor Darry watched him and let him inside, he saw his mother sitting with his little brother, the last born son of Aerys II Targaryen.

Queen Rhaella was sitting in her room with Viserys when her door opened and her eyes widened, Aemon entered her chambers and she smiled brightly. "Aemon!" Viserys said and ran over to his big brother who hoisted the boy into the air and spun around. She got up and rushed to embrace her son, he stiffened at her touch but eventually put an arm around her shoulders.

"Oh, my boy, I missed you. I missed you dearly." She whispered in Aemon's ear, the Prince of Summerhall shuttered on the inside because of, everything.

He loves his mother with all his heart, he hated when the weeks following the Defiance that his father would climb to her chambers and force her to perform her 'duties'. Rhaegar and Aemon would try to void it from happening, but what could be done against the King? Aemon would lock himself inside his chambers, Rhaegar would run away to Dragonstone where he spent a majority of his time.

She doesn't hate her sons for this, she still loves them and is happy that he is home at last. "Rhaegar will be happy you are home, he has no doubt heard of your arrival." She told her second son who sat down beside her and Viserys continued playing with his toys while she braided his already growing hair.

"I doubt that, he didn't even say goodbye when father banished me." Aemon pointed out and caught a wooden horse Viserys tossed. "Does he still read books and such?" He asked her and she shook her head.

"It was a month after you, 'left'. Rhaegar had exited the library and found the Master-at-Arms, you remember Willem Darr. I was speaking with him when he came into the yard and asked for a sword, he said 'It seems I must be a warrior'." She recounted the day and it is still strange to her.

Rhaegar has always been a mysterious child, born of tragedy when Summerhall went ablaze because her grandfather wanted to hatch dragon eggs.

Her eldest son has since been a softspoken and calm child, ever interested in books that she thought he'd be Daeron the Good come again only without the bastard half-brother who would try to take his throne.

"So he wants to fight, that's good," Aemon said and stayed quiet for a long moment, "Father said you both wanted me home, I wasn't aware that Rhaegar even cared about me." She frowned and Aemon sighed deeply, "He's my elder brother, right? He should care about me... " She cupped her second-born son's cheeks and forced him to look at her.

"Aemon. Your brother cares about you more than you can even know, he hated the fact your father banished you. He fought for months only for Aerys to threaten him with banishment as well." Aemon didn't believe her, she could see it in his eyes but she needed to say it to him, "Remember, Aemon. Brotherhood is the pillar to the family, it used to be dragons but now it is the bond of brother and sister, or just brothers." She added and returned to braiding Viserys growing hair.

Her son looked shocked and unsure of what to say next, she watched him with small glances until he spoke to her, playing with the gears in his brothers toy that he still held on to.

"So should I go and see him, now? Or wait for him to come to me... " He questioned and she smiled, at once the door opened and Rhaegar stepped through the door and with Elia and Rhaenys in her arms.

"Welcome home, brother," Rhaegar told Aemon who eyed his elder brother and sister-in-law, Rhaenys was put down and ran to her uncle despite never meeting him, Aemon reacted and picked her up. Rhaegar stepped closer and embraced Aemon once he put his daughter down and one thought ran through the younger one's mind as he reluctantly brought an arm around his brother.

 _The bond of brotherhood is what keeps this family together, you two must help one another into the future..._

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 ** _AN: So ends the reboot part one, again, the same story and same end to the Rebellion but fleshed out and stretched so Aemon has more impacts on the many characters and plots of the story._**

 ** _Until chapter two, I bid you all good day._**


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